I couldn't connect with the characters and felt like the plot wasn't strong. I could not rate this book higher than a 3, so I did not review it on the blog.

4 stars

To Win Her Smile by Mackenzie Crowne was beautiful and heartwarming read. I really enjoyed it.

The writing is well done, the storyline held my attention all throughout the book and I really liked both Wyatt and Piper.
It warmed my heart watching their relationship unfold, they had great chemistry and totally belonged together.

Overall a lovely way to spend a Sunday afternoon, I highly recommend this book.

*A big thank you to the publisher for the advance copy in exchange for my honest thoughts*

Grade: B

MacKenzie Crown’s latest sports romance centers around a superstitious adrenalin junkie football player and a bonafide British Baroness who moonlights as a photographer. Piper Darrow needs cash fast in order to save her family’s debt strapped estate so she agrees to some side work photoaging for the Mahatten Marauders. When star player Wyatt Hunter’s pass goes wild and injures Piper, Wyatt goes on to have the best game of his career and is now convinced she is his new good luck charm. In his need to keep her close, their attraction blazes up and only grows hotter the more time they spend together. When Wyatt’s family uncovers something about Piper that makes him doubt everything they have, Wyatt has to dig deep and decide who’s he going to trust? His fear or his heart?

This sexy and humorous romance cleverly hides a strong emotional undertow that gradually makes itself known as readers become more enamored with this couple. The sports aspects are knowledgeable and blend well with the spicy romance and family fueled conflicts affecting both protagonists. Told in alternating POVs, this strong, intelligent, and independent couple moves at a steady respectable pace, allowing them time to get to know one another. The engaging dialogue and multiple settings are highlighted by a colorful cast, steamy love scenes, and family issues. A very well done grovel scene at the end seals the deal.

ally enjoyed the mildly zany but still believable plot of this novel. Wyatt and Piper were alternately baiting each other and flirting until finally they gave in. It was fun to watch unfold.

Piper needs money to help save her family's estate and Wyatt offers her a job that could answer all her money problems, but will the personal sacrifice be too much...

Mackenzie Crowne has spun a modern day romance that brings a sports figure, Wyatt, and a titled lady, Piper, into a story that is a little bit sweet and a little bit sassy. Throw in some spice, a bit of political scandal, some family drama, a little betrayal followed by an HEA that will have you swooning and you have To Win Her Smile.

Piper is the best match for Wyatt. She doesn't take his crap. Her determination to keep her family's land. Wyatt, oh how I love his quirks! Piper is this season's lucky charm and he needs her to make it to the Super Bowl. I always knew he was a tender heart underneath his determination. Their attraction is undeniable and will make your ereader overheat!
I love the lastest book in the Player Series by Mackenzie Crowne! She always has the perfect mix of humor, love and drama. If you enjoy sports romance that will have you flying through not wanting to put your ereader down I highly recommend To Win Her Smile and the entire Player Series.

4.5 Stars

This was the first book I’ve read by Mackenzie Crowne and oh my goodness did I love it!

Her witty writing style sucked me right into Piper and Wyatt’s story.

Wyatt is a professional quarterback in the NFL and has these quirky superstitions that you may find other professional athletes having. Except instead of having a lucky rabbit’s foot, he has lucky women. Or in this case he finds Piper to be the team’s lucky charm.

Piper Darrow, Baroness of Delaney, finds herself at the tail end of a soaring football that gets tipped straight into her face at a professional football game. She ends up with a broken nose but also finds herself intensely attracted to the quarterback who feels horrible for breaking her nose from the pass that he threw. Piper’s passion is photography but she also feels a sense of duty as a Baroness to look after the estate that has resided in her family for over four hundred years. Her estate, and home, becomes threatened by her snooty and dare I say, bitchy, cousin if she isn’t paid her inheritance that is due by New Year’s Eve.

The story that comes out of these circumstances is fantastic! I loved the other professional athletes that take part, who I’m also assuming are from the previous books in the series. There are also the Gridiron Girls who are the wives and significant others of the other teammates on Wyatt’s team. Piper’s best friend Moira and her extended family, Tilly and Angus, are all hysterical and had me laughing out loud quite frequently throughout the book.

Needless to say, you NEED to read this book! It is so worth it.

Seriously loved it!

Loved it! This series just keeps getting better with each new book. I really enjoyed the dialogue of Piper. & her family's scottish phrases & profanity, it's a nice change from the everyday Americanized slang. Both the characters of Wyatt & Piper were strong but caring, with a very steamy side, especially for Piper when she refuses to give up on a promise made even though she was devastated by the person she made the promise to.. We see the softer side of Wyatt when his young niece is around & the controversy surrounding her also shows us his protective side when it comes to her being hidden from his father & the media. We also see the greed & sadness that has been brought into Piper's life since her father's death but there's also a determination in her that pushes her past all that. Unfortunately for all, the forces of greed & selfishness rear their ugly heads & put Wyatt & Piper at odds with each other. The intrigue of the chase, the joy of catching love, the fear of being broken & the heartbreak of losing love are just a few of the emotions running through this book that takes us on the ride through Wyatt & Piper's story. Definitely recommend to read.

4 1/2 STARS!

A sexy pro baller plus a touch of British royalty equals the sassy ride of a lifetime! We recognize most of the supporting cast from previous books in the Players series, and enjoy jumping into their mix again. Lots of chemistry between characters and family turmoil abounds! Really fun and feisty read!

British Baroness Piper Darrow is undercover in Manhattan taking the opportunity to visit an old friend and take part in a charity event at the same time. She never expects to meet the sexy quarterback of the Manhattan Marauders in quite such a slamming way!

Wyatt Hunter is taken with Piper as soon as he sets eyes on her, and the fact that her misfortune on the sidelines of the game happened to be his turning point to a victory makes her this season's good luck charm! He'll do anything to convince her to stick around and help the team make it to the play-offs! When he offers her a deal she can't refuse considering she's a bit money strapped, will they use the opportunity to grow closer or will secrets tear them apart before they get the chance?

To Win Her Smile by MacKenzie Crown
Players #5

Do you believe in luck? Some, especially those that are sports minded and like to win, do believe and either have a routine or a charm or something they adhere to religiously – Wyatt Hunter is just such a man. When Wyatt’s football pass hits Piper Darrow on the sidelines changing their game from a loss to a win he is willing to stake money and more on getting her to attend the rest of the games. Piper, in need of money, has mixed feelings about the situation. Eventually an agreement is hammered out that includes photographs, money coming in from more than one source and the potential for some hot steamy times – without commitment. Well, a story can’t roll along smoothly without glitches so add in Wyatt’s politically minded father who has his nose in everything, a secret Wyatt’s sister does not want to come out, Piper’s atrocious cousin, misperceptions, mistrust and misconceptions and you have much to contend with. And…you also have a well written book that is not sunshine for all from beginning to end. I enjoyed this book and highly recommend it. I am not sure if this is the last book in the series but I have a feeling it might be since there are five books published now and mention of The Fabulous Five throughout. There ARE other characters that could have their stories told, though, so who knows?

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books – Lyrical Shine for the ARC. This is my honest review.

4-5 Stars

So far I’ve been really loving this series, set around the friendships and romances of an American Football team, so I was intrigued at the prospect of a British Baroness joining the cast. But, alas, as a Brit, I found her hit-and-miss Britishness really distracting.

I won’t go into all the in and outs of why, though I often wondered why when all of them talk with Scottish accents (apart from her friend whose slang seemed to know no boundaries as it rampaged around the country) the manor wasn’t actually IN Scotland. Yes, the far north of England has a lot of Scottish characteristics, but they have their own unique character, accents and dialects too, not that you’d know it in this book. Also cranes and chipmunks in Cumbria? Um…

It was also inconsistent. Piper might talk about the boot of her car one moment, then be discussing bachelorette parties (for non-Brits, we call them hen parties). It got to the point where I noticed every time she used a Britishism, and every time she didn’t, with car talk being particularly distracting. I also grew annoyed by her overly formal speech at times.

In fact, I wasn’t all that impressed with Piper. Her wishy-washy attempts not to give into her attraction to Wyatt were pathetic. I don’t know why she even bothered. He is pretty pushy, but her defence was non-existent. Coupled with everything mentioned above, she annoyed me a lot and around the halfway mark I came very close to giving up.

But I like this series, so I gave it another go, and once they do give into their attraction it does get better. There’s a lot more to Wyatt than the careless playboy he pretends to be. I came to like him as the book progressed, though I never loved him. I felt like Piper improved too when she had real problems to focus on. They make a cute team and that ending was plain adorable – if a little over the top when he knows how much she hates being the centre of attention.

So overall this was okay and probably works a lot better for those who aren’t British, or who aren’t bothered by things being a bit skewed in that quarter. It was great seeing old characters again, but if you’re new to this series you can start here without too much difficulty. It has sports, it has romance and even has a hint of British aristocracy to keep things ticking along. My own issues with this book aside, this series remains a thoroughly enjoyable read.

to win her smile, is the fifth book in the gridiron players series. quarterback wyatt hunter has no idea how things will change when he decides the woman he inadvertently hit with a football on the sidelines is his new lucky charm.

piper darrow has plenty of reasons to avoid a professional athlete, her ex saddled her with the label of the gold-digging baroness, and her land-rich, cash-poor inheritance helped lend credence to his claims. the last thing she wants in her life is another jock, especially not a superstar football player with hordes of press coverage, and even worse, his father happens to be running for president. so them as a thing can't happen.

except someone forgot to tell her traitorous body. because one kiss from wyatt and piper's reasons completely slip her mind. and then there's the fact that wyatt keeps saying things like sticking together and falling for her and other words that commitment-phobes avoid. so she starts believing that maybe he won't let her down.

of course he's a guy, and she's a lady, and there's this huge misunderstanding where he doesn't trust her or himself, mainly because someone he loves is hurt. and so winning piper back is going to take one hell of a grand gesture, because she'd been so close to believing in them when he forgot to believe in her. and those lapses of trust are harder to forgive even when you understand the reasons why.

to win her smile is an enjoyable sports romance, and even though the fifth (possibly last) in the series it stands alone. although i enjoyed this enough to want to check some of the other books out.

Review by Elizabeth for Love Romance Books Blog

4 stars

I love football, American football, it is my favorite sport and I try to read all these books because they always end up better than I can imagine. This book was just as good as I thought. I loved the little twist of the football player falling for a baroness, but not knowing. It was kinda of neat listening to her accent all the way through this book. On top of that she has a lot of stuff going on in this book and so it was not all about him. It was about them. That is what keeps you going in this book. So what happens when a Baroness that needs extra money comes to a football game. Ball in the face. And I really mean it. That is how they meet. Mackenzie needs extra money to keep her family home. A home that she would never let go. Wyatt needs to have a great year. He screwed up over the summer and now he is on their teams radar. One more screw up, well that could be the end. One more loss, could mean goodbye to football. So when he comes face to face to to this stunning woman, he knows she is going to be his lucky charm. With that being said now he needs to figure out how to get her. That is what makes this book fun. He sets up a proposition that she can't refuse and that is where their journey begins.

I don't want to get into this story much, but it is a great read. You will fall for Mackenzie and Wyatt. Mackenzie is sweet and she will do anything for family, but she will do anything for love, but she will fight the feeling because she has been burnt before. She has been burnt extremely bad, so now she will proceed with caution. Wyatt is pretty awesome in his own way. He is a star, but he is doing stupid things. He needs to get his act together before it is too late.

I loved the writing in this book and it kept you going the whole time. I miss that the story has ended, but it was a fun ride during the read. The characters are very likable and I can't wait to see what comes out next from this author.

Review by Amanda for Love Romance Books Blog

Rating: 5

I was asked by the author for an honest review.

I would like to have given To Win Her Smile 4.5 stars.

This is the first book I've read by Mackenzie Crowne. You don't need to have read any of the other books in the Players series to enjoy To Win Her Smile.

It was a cute story. I liked how strong of a character Piper was and how she made tough decisions with integrity. I would have liked the ending to be a little less smooth considering the event that led up to it and the amount of time it took to resolve it.

After reading this one, I'm interested in reading the other books in the series.

To Win Her Smile is rich in laughter, strong in character and full of heart. Any story where the titular character has the ingenuity to not wait to be rescued but work toward their own salvation is aces with me. It's always a added bonus to discover a heroine as relatable and spirited as Piper. She bucked the odds by seeking a life filled with happiness. Wyatt, may be a jock but he's no fool. When the heart speaks he listens and that made him a winner in my book. Ms. Crowne continues to bring excitement and heart to some of the most delightful characters romance has to offer.

Loved this book! It had a ton of great characters and the story was fun and easy with a great flow to it. Angus is now one of my all time favorite characters! I really enjoyed how the relationship between Wyatt and Piper developed and how kind and caring Wyatt was when he found out about Piper's issues. Just an all round feel good story that left me smiling and happy. I highly recommend it to everyone.

Wyatt has perfected the charming rascal face that he shows the world and for the most part he’s found a way to live a life that he wants.  But all is not perfect in his world.  Piper knows what it is like to have the world turn on you but she’s got moxie and is willing to work for what she holds dear.  It can’t be easy for either of them living in such scrutiny, but at least it is something that they can both understand.  And best of all, both of them have a great support system in their friends and family.  (Well, for the most part.) 

Together Wyatt and Piper are a hoot.  From their first introduction to the take no prisoners seduction campaign that Wyatt stages, there is laughter and fun and heat.  He definitely makes it difficult for Piper to do what she feels is best and resist the oh-so-tempting QB.  And then … *sigh* I knew before I started that Wyatt was going to do something to screw things up.  (Well, one of them was and it was most likely going to be him.)  That didn’t stop me from giving these two my heart and then watching him just stomp all over it.  I understand why he does what he does – and major props to the guy for making up for it – but that didn’t stop me from getting mad and hurt … but that’s what tells you you’ve found a great book and an amazing author, right?  That you get so invested in the characters that it feels like you are involved with them too?

I have loved this series from the beginning and I was super excited to be given the chance to not only read this one but to be involved in promoting it.  At least until I realized that Ms. Crowne said this was it, the last of the series.  Say it isn’t so!!!  If this is your first chance to experience these rough and tumble football players (and the women who bring them to their knees) it is definitely a great place to start.  But don’t blame me when you find yourself adding the rest to your TBR pile  :)

Thank you to Net-Galley, the publisher and author for the ARC. This is my thoughts and only my thoughts on the story. NO form of payment was received.

I have read all but one of the books in this series, and I will be reading it. This one is my favorite. I love Wyatt and Piper. Both are dealing with things caused by family in life that they wish they didn't have to. Pipers is a bitch of a cousin causing her grief and for Wyatt it is his dad, running to be POTUS.

The chemistry between these two is off the charts. I was not ready for the book to end! I was sucked into the story from the get go. I love Mac and her stories. Another great story!

This was a sweet romance sports read and I enjoyed it a lot. The characters were enjoyable and the storyline was great. I even enjoyed all of the secondary characters. Piper knows what its like to have someone accuse her of using another person and feeling helpless to stop the rumors. The last thing she wants is to get involved with someone else but Wyatt Hunter is hard to resist. I enjoyed reading how their relationship developed and they were so sweet together. However, Wyatt has a secret to keep and someone will use what they have to get what they want. As they say, money is the root of all evil and it applies to this book. The ending was wrapped up nicely but I wished we got to see Wyatt's dad reaction when the truth came out since it was made a big deal in the story. So, that part of the story felt a little unfinished because I wanted to know what was said; what his dad said. Anyways, I enjoyed this story and I would definitely read more books from this author.

This was a charming story that involved two worlds melding together through the circumstances of an arrant football pass. The story was completely diminished by the foul language and graphic sex. This is truly an author who I would like to have do a 'sweet' version of her book. I think it would have a great appeal. I know for me it would, as I'd like to find out more about the lives of the other characters, especially Wyatt's sister. I won't be wading through any of Mackenzie Crowne's other books though as this one was written. Not worth it.

What a fantastic story. Piper was down in her luck and took a job as a photographer to work a special event for the Manhattan Marauders. Little does she know. It isn't going to be easy as her it's not a quick job especially when she gets hit in her nose buy their quarterback Wyatt Hunter. I loved the main characters and all the secondary ones. Football is my favorite sport so this book wasn't just about their love story to me but the long road to the championship!!!